September Event Log

[kaisoumods]

September Event
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

Full Moon: September 28th - September 30th

※

As August and all of its chaos leaves Kaisou, September comes in with cooler weather. The Spirit Vein in the sky will turn to hues of green, indicating the shift towards the Wind element. In fact, there's so much wind, it frankly isn't funny. No tornadoes (that was a few months ago), but more than half the month will have windy weather, and a day or two of high wind warnings from the local weather people. Try not to get blown away!

Rosemary and Thyme

It's September, and you know what that means: school, school, and more school. For the seniors in high school, it's their last year, and soon it'll be time to start looking into secondary education and making plans for the future. Everyone else... enjoy a week of syllabi and ice breakers!

If you're looking for an education that's a bit more magical, there's a whole different school you can attend. While Cygnus Academy has had classes all summer, now that it's fall, they're really kicking it into gear. Several of the faculty will be offering more regular classes on various magical or practical skills, and they're even offering homework help for the younger students as well as college prep for those who looking for it.

September also means that Kaisou's renaissance faire, Sherwood Festival, is back in town! Located near Blue Fish Park, the renaissance faire is full of the usual things one might expect to find at a ren faire. If you're looking for activities, there's all manner of things; from jousting, magic shows, bard performances, visiting a "royal court", and so on! Meanwhile, if you're looking to spend money, there's many vendors selling their handmade goods, such as soaps and or potteries, as well as all sorts of "old timey" foods to try, such as mutton or turkey legs (and of course, beers and ciders for those old enough). Or perhaps you're just interested in the new attractions, which include a fairy circle within the forest, or the mermaid cove that's been set up in the Blue Fish Lake.

However, it's not all just simple gimmicks in this year's faire. App users may notice a few things different about some of the performers this year. That faerie having fun dancing with the kids? That's an actual Fae, likely one that stayed behind after the incursion in March. That "magician" performing around the food stalls? She's performing actual magic, not just illusions and sleight of hand. Even in the mermaid cove, a few of the "mermaid actors" are actual mermaids, and the forest where the Fae circle is located is still heavy with traces of fae magic from last March. There's a couple more strange sightings like that, and though they're not the majority by any stretch it is perhaps a bit concerning that there's as many as there are.

It's up to you if you call these people out or not. Leave it be, and you'll be able to enjoy a good time. If you approach one of these more magical folks, they will try to deny anything strange going on - they're just running a nice faire! Should you take it far enough to piss off one of the fae, you may find yourself cursed into becoming a monster.

Bad Moon Rising

The full moon usually passes through Kaisou with very little fanfare. There are certainly people with monster changes who have to deal with it for the few nights it hangs around each month, forcing them into their monster forms until daybreak. Until now, though, it's always only affected a very small selection of the population - feline and canine monsters, specifically. A few individuals, most of whom have figured out how to manage their condition by now, nothing to cause a panic.

Not so for this month... and for all months following. Thanks to the damage done by the spirit vein, all monster types will feel the full moon's effects. This means that once night falls and the full moon rises, you will have a harder time maintaining your normal form in the city, while your monster side gets significantly stronger. Retaining your humanity will be extremely difficult unless you have some serious control over your monster self. Perhaps you will be fortunate and be able to keep your stable mind, or perhaps you will find your monster thoughts overpowering you and you'll find yourself going a little feral, which is rather unfortunate if you happen to be in a populated area when night falls. This effect will last until sunrise, when you will regain normal form again. Best find a way to handle your abrupt changes, as this certainly isn't going away and the full moon lasts for three nights. You will either need to get better control over your monster form, or seek out other means to manage yourself through the full moon nights. Every month following this one will be the same- it seems like these changes are very much here to stay.

The Stable Gates

Full moon chaos aside, this quiet time in Kaisou might be a good opportunity to check up on how the stable realms are doing. Hyrule, newly freed from the grips of Calamity Ganon, has begun the slow effort to rebuild. Even better, with the Calamity gone, weapons will no longer decay as quickly. Besides Princess Zelda, the Hudson Construction Company is building new structures and is working on infrastructure around various communities in Hyrule. Curiously, every member of the Hudson Construction Company has a name that ends in "son". But that quirk aside, they are the ones to go to if you, too, are interested in having any structures built within Hyrule. Otherwise, you can help them with gathering resources or fighting off any monsters still around.

It's not all peaceful in Hyrule, though. If you're unlucky, you might run into the Yiga clan. They're a clan of Hyruleans that, despite the Calamity's goal of wiping out all life in Hyrule, thought it was a good idea to side with the Calamity. With it gone, they've now taken to attacking the folks that were responsible of destroying Ganon. They'll often be at roadsides, pretending to be travelers in distress before attacking. Besides dressing like red clothed ninjas, they seem to carry a weird amount of bananas with them. They should be easy enough to fend off if you're a skilled fighter, but maybe it's best not to travel alone for awhile.

Meanwhile, in Stardew Valley, the autumn season has fully set in. Crops like pumpkins, cranberries, and apples are all the rage in the small community. At the end of the month, the townsfolk will hold a festival to showcase the harvests for the year and have small community activities. If you're looking for a simple life or want to do some simple farm work without getting attacked by monsters, this might be a good place to spend some time.

A New Job

On the morning of September 4th, Zodiac will send out an alert message.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM GATE DETECTED IN UNIVERSITY DISTRICT.
Element Classification: Wind
Danger Level: Low
Designation: Great Library of Alexandria
Zodiac has detected a spirit realm gate appearing in the University district, and confirmed it to be the Great Library of Alexandria. We have also has received a message from the Muses. It reads: "We the Muses, goddesses of the arts, have decided to take some time off due to some recent events. As such, you shall be charged with watching our library this month. Failure to do so competently will incur our wrath. Thanks!"

No pressure, huh.

The atmosphere of the Zodiac office is calmer compared to last month, as dealing with the Great Library is much easier than everything that was happening last month. The Zodiac employee will tell you the most important thing is to make sure to bring a piece of knowledge to share, as that's the admission fee of the library. They aren't sure what watching the library entails, but surely it can't be that bad, right?

That said, while the Zodiac employees are relaxed, the Professor (fuzzy) is anything but. He's talking a mile a minute about how excited he is to see the Great Library of Alexandria. He even has a little suitcase with him that's full of notebooks and gear in case he wants to say overnight. Because of course he's coming with this time! He wouldn't miss the great library for the world!

To find the gate, one simply has to head out to Kaisou University's main campus. Among all the class buildings and libraries, there's a new building front that seems to have appeared. White columns and stone stairs are hardly unusual among a college campus, so it might be easy to overlook, except that the entryway is glowing with a bright energy. No doubt about it, this is the gate.

The Great Library of Alexandria

Stepping through the gate, characters will find themselves in a grand marble hall that would put most to shame. Around the hall are statues of the nine muses, posing in different fashions with objects associated with each one. There are signs with the rules of the library. Even though it's written in Ancient Greek, you find yourself able to read what it says like it was perfect English:

I. Take nothing out of the Great Library, leave it all as you found it.
II. Damage nothing in these halls.
III. To obtain knowledge, you must share knowledge.

In the center of the hall is a pedestal that stands four feet tall. It is here that you place the knowledge that you've brought to share. Books, movies, comics, art pieces, fact sheets, personal notes - anything that could technically be considered either knowledge or art are accepted. Once you place your item on the pedestal, it will disappear and a bracelet made of olive tree wood will appear around their wrist. This is their proof that they are allowed entrance into the rest of the library. Anyone who tries to go into the halls without donating a piece of knowledge will find the entryways into the other wings magically blocked.

Once the admission fee has been paid, it's off to explore the rest of the library! There are several wings to explore, each of them chock full of knowledge. A person could easily spend a lifetime in a single wing and not see everything there is to offer. Even though it offers works written and created in countless languages, you'll find yourself able to understand all of them as if they were written in your native language. That said, any cameras will not work while within the hall, so if you want to remember the things you read- you'll have to take notes. Any character with fire magic will find their fire powers do not work while in this realm either - the library has a bad history with fire, okay.

The wings are as followed:

The Literature Wing

This wing is devoted entirely to any work of literature that's ever been written. Novels, poems, short stories, comics, fables - anything that counts as a story would be found within this wing. There's even a section devoted to fanfictions throughout the ages, if that's what you're really about. There are braille and audiobooks with headphones, for those who get their reading through that way. Throughout the wing, there are comfortable chairs and window seats to sit in. The wing is managed by a legion of cats, who are clever enough to understand human language. They will carry books to and from their shelves, bring book recommendations, bring snacks and drinks as refreshments on a little push cart, or just curl up on your lap as you read.

The Knowledge Wing

Next to the Literature Wing, the Knowledge wing contains any non-fiction texts or documents that have ever been written. Any topic of non-fiction is covered here: history, science, mathematics, cookbooks - the list goes on. Interestingly, there are more than just books about this Earth found in these halls. It's possible to find textbooks detailing events or information about other worlds as well - so long as it covers events already taken place (meaning before any OU's canon point). Unlike the literature wing, the seating are set up more as study tables and chairs, but are still comfortable enough to sit in for hours on end. This wing is managed by a bunch of owls, who will fly up and down the aisles with books in their talons. The fuzzy Professor can be found here, basically acting like a tiny child at Christmas as he piles on all the history books and shares every interesting fact he learns ("this is going to make such great material for my classes!!"). There are several puppets with him helping out. Where did the puppets come from? Maybe it's best you don't ask, because they'll start to sing and annoy the owls.

The Music Wing

A wing designed to have perfect acoustics, no matter where you go within the hall. Here, you can find every music piece ever composed, as well as any type of instrument ever created. There's plenty of practice rooms for any size group, all of which are soundproofed. In the back of the wing, there is a concert hall where you can either perform your own shows, or watch astral recordings of any concert that's ever taken place. Want to see Beethoven perform his famous 9th symphony? You can do that! All the musicians past will appear as ghostly apparitions as they perform. Songbirds are the maintainer of these halls, who will fly by on errands or maybe even stop by to sing along with your performances.

The Theatre Wing

Next to the music wing, there is the theater wing. This area has play stages and movie theaters all set up. You can either watch any movie or show in existence (no worries about streaming rights here!), or rewatch any theater performance that's happened in history in the form of ghostly visages. Find out how Hamlet was performed when Shakespeare was still alive (in fact Shakespeare's visage himself might look... familiar), or see the first Greek tragedy. Mice and rats are the maintainers of this wing, they will help out pick out movies and also run a concession stand with any movie snacks you'd like to consume during the show.

Of course, not all shows are ones that we passively spectate. Besides the theaters, there is a room devoted to be a fighting simulator. Take any kind of weapon you'd like, and fight spectral foes from history and legend. Trade blows with the greatest samurai or battle a beast of legend. While it feels real, no actual injuries will come from these fights. And for those who prefer their battles to take place in the digital plane, there is a relatively newly added room with all the video games you could possibly want.

The Planetarium Wing

The planetarium is the wing devoted to astronomy and the heavens. While there's plenty of shelves of books here with information about space, the main event in this hall is a planetarium. A massive dome that can be set to display the night sky as it appeared at any time or day- and not just on Earth either. You can find out what the sky looks like on any number of worlds. All of them feel hyper-realistic, like you're looking at the real night sky. Bats help run this part of the library, the dark starry skies doing nothing to hinder their assistance with visitors.

Should anyone use this room to investigate the moon, they will find that the moon itself? Is still a perfectly normal moon. No, really. It's normal. However much like it affects the tide, the moon will also affect the magical energies of Spirit Veins. And the higher level of concentration of magical energy, the larger the effect. So the reason the full moon is affecting more monsters? Is less about the moon and more the increasing spirit energy that is ever growing in Kaisou.

The Museum Wing

The museum wing covers all artifacts that relate to knowledge, but wouldn't quite fit in the other wings. Dinosaur fossils, vases, paintings, tapestries, all of them are carefully displayed with information about each item. These items have been collected across different worlds and throughout history, with all of them carefully preserved. One room of the museum is devoted to divine donations - donations given by deities when they came once came to visit, and clearly the shining gem of the museum. Items such as a Dharma Wheel, an apple from the Tree of Knowledge, an actual eye (thanks Odin), and other items relating to knowledge have all been carefully put on pedestals. While trying to steal from the other wings will have magic measures that simply prevent you from doing so, the consequences of trying to steal from this part of the library will lead to much more dire consequences. To reflect that, this wing is patrolled by crocodiles who will guide you to exhibits, but will also snap their jaws anytime they feel you're getting too close to an artifact.

The Mess Hall

With so much to see in this library, it'd be a shame if hunger got in the way. Just head down into the basement, where an expansive dining hall and kitchen await you. The goats that run this part of the library will be happy to cook you up any kind of meal that has ever existed. Or, if you're the type to want to cook for yourself, you'll have free access to the kitchen, which is full of any ingredients you could possibly want. The walls are lined with cooking tools and cookbooks to help you along, as well. Cooking is a form of art, after all.

The Records Wing

The final wing contains records of every person who has ever lived and died. Each person's life is recorded in a hardcover book that is decorated in ways to reflect the person. The length of a book will depend on how long the person has lived, and it will cover events that happened throughout their lives. While you can access records of people that live in different worlds, you can only access records of people who have died (the permanent kind). Not only that, but the keepers of this wing (ghostly apparitions of scholars) will only allow you access to the records of people that are part of your family or somehow related to you.

Hauntingly, AU characters will be able to find books of their past selves among these shelves, as well as the records of their past selves relatives. It will detail their lives in their previous worlds, the events described lining up with memories you've experienced. The causes of death will vary. Some will go on to live long lives before dying of old age, while others will be killed abruptly by something either within or out of their control. Either way, it's probably rather unsettling to read about how your life once came to an end.

Watching Over the Library

For those who have agreed to care for the library, when you enter the library and pay your admission, a special key will appear in your pocket the same time the wristband does. This key will allow you to enter the backrooms of the library. The backrooms of the library are expansive, split into two main areas. The first area is clearly the living areas for both the Muses and their animal helpers. There's a bathing area that's full of rejuvenating water, a greenhouse full of plants found in Ancient Greece, and nine apartment-style homes that belong to each of the muses. While you're free to use the public bath or look through the greenhouse, going into the apartments is a good way to get yourself cursed in new and horrible ways.

The second area? Well, that's where your work as the library's caretaker begins. There are a couple important tasks that must be done. First, the animal caretakers must be fed. There are large storage containers full of the different kinds of foods the animals like to eat and food troughs assigned to each group of animals. Make sure they get fed regularly, unless you want them to start to turn on each other. You can also help the animals by playing with them, grooming them, or just giving them some nice pets.

Not quite an animal person? Well then, you can head into the next room where the Sorting takes place. The Library of Alexandria is getting new material all the time, and all the newest items appear here. There's a pile of books and media that need to be sorted into their proper wings. Each of the wings have a drop chute that you can throw items into, or you can hand them off to an animal attendant. Try to keep up with this task as much as you can, before the piles grow out of control.

If neither of those jobs sound appealing to you, there's always patrolling the library and making sure everything remains in order. Keep things from getting out of control, or help clean up messes that get made by other patrons. Remember, you want to make sure the Muses don't come back to a sight that angers them.

Finding Closure (POKEGO Mission)

"This is a selfish request from a selfish old man, I know. But in every way but blood, he was my son. So please... help me understand his reasons. If it was my fault, or if there was something I could've done. I just... I need to know. Thank you."

It's not typical that Professor Oak asks personal requests, usually preferring to allow his associates to follow their own interests and goals. But it seems the memory of Willow's actions were haunting him more than he was letting on. And for those who were familiar with Willow's case file... this realm was the place where he had gotten his idea to go after Ra, so if there was any place to search for answers...

There are two wings within the library that will yield some findings. In the Knowledge Wing, shoved away amongst the other books about Ancient Egypt, you can find Professor Willow's notebook lodged into the bookshelf. The notes are a mixture of research and observations, as well as his own personal log. At the start, it reads much like the man many of them were familiar with; an easy-going and curious man who truly did think well of his fellow colleagues. Persephone was like a mother, Abasi was so intelligent (even if a bit prickly), and he felt pride watching Sorey and Mikleo grow and come into their own as POKEGO members.

But as the notes and logs go on, the tone slowly slips into something darker and eventually... desperate. Life setbacks (usually described in vague terms, if at all) eat at him more and more. And more and more, he begins romanticizing his past life, his past world. Not wanting to trouble anyone, he never speaks to anyone about it, allowing it to fester until idle daydreams manifest into dangerous plots. His notes and observations become less careful, more unhinged. But even as he continues his plans, his logs continue to reflect a man who is torn by his actions and whether they are the right thing to do. Even in his final log, the one written on the night he found the way to get to Set, he writes: "I know I'm going to cause a lot of pain, but this is the only way. I just... I'll try to make things right, somehow."

The other finding POKEGO can find is within the Records Wing. Willow had long considered the members of POKEGO as his family, so they'll be allowed to view his records. These will shed some light and give context to his background from an outside perspective. In the final pages, it mentions that he's currently serving his life sentence in Florida under the Order's watch. He doesn't know if he deserves to live, after so many lost their lives through his actions. Frequently, he'll try to write letters to various POKEGO members - but can never bring himself to send them. Each one of them has the same kind of message: I'm sorry. It's not your fault. Maybe you can use what you learn to help give Professor Oak (and yourselves) some closure.

Speaking of Professor Oak, for those who are curious enough to look up his records, POKEGO members will be able to access them as well. Reading his record might learn some interesting information about the old man, even if you'll have to own up to grandma that you were snooping.

To Be Forgotten (Black Order Mission)

While everyone else has the library or their own matters to attend to, the Black Order has their own mission to follow. "Locate Rukkhadevata" was the message that the Order had left them with. Strangely enough, there's no records of any Rukkhadevata anywhere in the public areas of the library. Looking through any records relevant to the name turns up empty, and even the animal keepers of the wings seem puzzled at the mention. If no one named Rukkhadevata exists, then why does the Order seers keep hearing that name?

The answer lies in the backroom of the library. Past the sorting room, there is another room hidden away. This is the forbidden part of the library, books that have been intentionally removed from the main collection. Most of these books are sealed and marked, with clear labels indicating that attempting to break the seal will result madness or death.

However, there is one book that sits on the table that has no such warning label, looking more like a normal book that got placed in this room by mistake: a life record book on Rukkhadevata.

Should you read the book, her life story becomes clear: Rukkhadevata was a former member of the Black Order, a recent former member. She was recruited after she began getting memories of being the Dendro Archon, the god of wisdom of Teyvat, in her previous life. Wise beyond her years and deeply kind, she did her best to help her fellow comrade through missions. Alarmingly, these comrades include Black Order members that are present in Kaisou today, with specific stories of their time together being detailed in this text. None of these stories are ones the Black Order members remember as they are written. Only as they hold the book in your hand, do the memories of her existence begin to come back to you.

Its only at the end of her record book does it become clearer what's going on. Three years ago, Rukkhadevata decided to leave the Order. Her reasons aren't discernible, with the lines being intentionally blotted out. But it took her time to figure out the best way to leave. In the end, she found two feasible options: the first was giving up all her powers by striking a bargain with a "bargaining horned spirit", which would render her useless to the Order. As for the other option...

"The Great Library of Alexandria is the realm that maintains all the knowledge in the world, as well as all the world's memories. Even for those who have faded into obscurity among the living still have records within the Record Wing, so the gods and seers are able to draw upon them. So in theory, if one removes their own records from the library, then the world itself will have no memories of them to draw upon, and thus will forget them. To maintain normalcy, any records of my existence will be eradicated or repurposed. Even the Order itself will have no knowledge that I exist. The Muses say doing such an act will consume about half of my soul's power to pull this off. They also caution me how difficult it'll be to be truly forgotten, but if this is the best way to achieve what I need to do...

World, forget me."

The record book ends there, with no further recordings to what happened to her. Rukkhadevata must have placed the book back here, thinking it'll be enough to erase her from the world's memories. However if the seers in the Order are still able to get her name...that's clearly not enough. The book itself needs to be destroyed.

So, the Order is now left with two options. They can return the book back to the Records Wing, which will reinstate the world's memories of Rukkhadevata. Or... there's a single fireplace within the forbidden part of the library, the only fireplace within the entire building. Should you throw it in there... all memories tied to Rukkhadevata will be permanently erased with no hope of regaining them. Decide amongst yourselves what the best course of action is.

Aftermath

The library will be around all month. At the end of the month, it will vanish once it came. If you've done a good job with looking after the library, you will be blessed with new inspiration for your creative endeavors. Should you have done something to harm the library on the other hand... well, depending on the severity, you'll certainly find yourself with some curses to attend to.

As for the Black Order, whether or not you remember Rukkhadevata, you are now equipped with knowledge that could help you leave the Order yourself, if you choose. Erase yourself from the world by burning your own books in the record wing, or seek out this bargaining horned spirit that the notes mentioned. Even after the library leaves this month, you'll just need to ask the shopkeeper of the Gacha Goodwill for the means to return to the library. He'll take you... but only if the stars are right.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Wind! Anyone with an affinity to the fire element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Earth will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up September 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Comments

[lowestclass]

[ he's really not used to 'we'. Both in this life and the past life, Going Solo had seemed to be a running theme. Now that there was someone in his wheelhouse--people willing to support and help him, he feels if he asks too much, he'll lose them, too.

And yet, here Lapis is, knowing full well of the danger she's walking into--and she's looking calm. peaceful, even--as if this wasn't a big deal; like he'd asked her to come over to help him move a couch. not... you know. the fact that she's come to let him drink her blood.

it's still partway embarrassing for him; but tonight it felt less so. He'll blame the moon for the fact that his teeth itch and the reason why Lapis smells nicer than usual. Because that has to be it.

He lets out a quiet, slow breath. Trying to center himself before he crosses the room and just --- { the image of pinning her to the door is so loud in his mind. } ]

When Zhongli last aided me. [ he speaks quietly, each word deliberate. ] He offered me his wrist.

He seemed uncomfortable with it. I believe a bite there is very painful.

...And of course. If you aren't comfortable with me biting you, I suppose. We. Could use a ... glass, or. Something.

[ he's trying very hard

not to stare at her neck. ]

[crisantemo]

[ Meanwhile Lapis is stubborn in this. He's had to deal with so much alone, that the last thing she wants is for him to keep feeling like that. If she can support him, she will - even if that includes offering him her blood. If there's a way she can help, she won't hesitate to take it.

Of course there's some lingering nerves underneath all the calm, something that makes it tempting to fidget, but she chalks it up to this being something entirely new. She's not exactly sure what to expect, but she knows she can trust him - so for now she places her jacket and gloves aside, putting them onto a table as she listens. Right, the wrist would be a painful spot and he seems worried about that... And a glass? ]

A glass would take too long, and it would just get messy. [ Getting blood all over the place sounds like an awful idea.

Which does leave one option. She hesitates, before shifting to move her hair to one side, out of the way; it's enough of an invitation as any, but she still speaks up after a moment. ]

I trust you, so... I don't mind you biting me.

1/2

[lowestclass]

[ she's right, of course. there's no way that using a glass would be clean, and blood was so difficult to get out of the carpet...

really, the only option would be to bite her. And the thought of it, still even now, was making his teeth itch.

He takes a deep breath--manual, through his teeth, letting it out carefully as he moves to approach her. He's almost laser-focused, the motion of her moving her hair was... painfully slow, in his perception.
His own heartbeat is low and quiet, but he swears it quickens in that moment.

(Why, of all things, in that same moment, did the simple thought of how beautiful she was cross his mind?)

He swallows quietly, and bows his head to her, just a little. ]

If it's the only way, then.
I will just apologise for any discomfort this may cause.

Please ... hit me or. Something. If it becomes painful, or. Something of the sort.

2/2

[lowestclass]

[ he doesn't know what to do with his hands. He's close enough to her now that he can hear her breath, feel her gaze on him. Solid, trusting.

It's odd. But it somehow makes this... easier.
He finally decides on what to do--and one hand moves to cup the side of her face--the cheek opposite to where she'd moved her hair, so he can gently coax her to tip it away from him.
His other hand hesitantly--but slowly moves to wind around her waist. To hold her steady in case the sudden loss of blood takes her legs out from under her.

...Odd, how the instinct to do that was just there. As if he'd done this before.

And that's when he leans in, so close to her that he can hear her heartbeat. the twitch of her skin just above her veins that call to him.

The instinct is to lunge.
He won't dare allow it.

Forcing himself to make every movement deliberate, slow. From his lips brushing up the side of her neck, to find that large vein hiding under pretty, pale skin--before his lips part, and he sinks his teeth in.

He thought, at first, that there would be some give to it. When he'd bitten Zhongli's wrist, there'd been a moment of difficulty in properly opening up a proper flow--but here, it's different.

Sweet, warm blood immediately bubbles up under his lips, and once again, it's instinct that has him sealing his mouth around the flow. Making sure not to let a drop to escape--and drinking deep with a low hum in the back of his throat. ]

[crisantemo]

[ His words simply get a soft smile in response; warm, reassuring and trusting. This may be dangerous, but she has nothing to fear with Jinwoo - she knows this, and it's why she's relaxed still as he steps closer. The skip in her heart is simply a reaction to something new, that's it.

It's an easy excuse, but not one that holds up as he cups her face; unconsciously leaning into it and tilting her head with his movement. She tries not to dwell on it, nor on the weight of his arm against her waist or how close he is. Part of her hopes that he's too focused on satiating his thirst that he doesn't notice how her cheeks heat up, or how her heart thuds a little bit harder. She forces her breathing to stay steady, at the very least, but there's still a hitch of breath and a stifled hiss when his teeth sink in.

It hurts, she expected it to hurt, but there's still the brief shock of it as she tense. But then she breathes out and relaxes again, hands clenching at her sides before she opts to do... something, anything, with them. She doesn't want to just stand here. It's why one hand goes to rest against the one on her cheek, fingers curling against his hand as she leans into it that little bit more - just to give him a little more room, of course. The other reaches up to rest against his back, another silent reassurance.

There's still some pain, as he drinks, but it's an ache she... finds herself not minding? Better not to let herself think further on that either, instead she takes another deep breath to will herself to stay calm - while she is starting to feel a bit lightheaded, she's lost more blood than this before and she doesn't want to stop him if he's still really hungry. ]

[lowestclass]

[ maybe it's just because of the full moon--awakening parts of his new instincts he isn't used to--doesn't have, normally--but he can hear almost every shift that Lapis makes. From the way her breath catches, to how her heartbeat pitches up in her chest as he gets close. Cold fingers on her cheek are warmed by the flush of her skin, and

Perhaps

were it not for his focus on the coppery--sweet--taste of blood on his tongue, he might comment on how pretty she looks with moonlight in her hair, and colour in her cheeks.

Another time, maybe. His focus is ... tight, and he doesn't let go for a long moment. It's more than he'd taken from Zhongli, and there's just a small moment where he tries to pull away.
There's an opposing force in his head that almost roars it's dislike of the idea.

Fortunately, Jinwoo is nothing if not stubborn, and despite how part of him quietly whispers to take everything he can--

He pulls away from her neck with a small hiss--clenching his teeth as his eyes quickly dart to her neck--quiet panic in how she might start bleeding everywhere.]

[crisantemo]

[ Despite trying to stifle herself, she still can't stop the sharp inhale as he pulls away from her neck - wincing at the new spike of pain, before relaxing again. She is... definitely not going to be steady on her feet for the moment, her eyes squeezing shut for a second in an attempt to right herself, before noticing how he looks at her neck. Ah, he's worried...

While she is still bleeding, she's not too fussed about it - the hand on his back shifts to hover just above the bite marks, a wash of healing magic stemming and stopping the blood flow. She doesn't have the energy to heal it completely, but it's enough for now. ]

See, I'm fine. [ That hand goes to rest against his back again, and the one resting atop his on her cheek squeezes gently - quietly reassuring once more. ]

How're you feeling?

[lowestclass]

[ it's alright--he won't let her fall, even if she feels a little weak. That hand that'd been on her cheek moves to steady her, fingers ghosting over one of her elbows as if to check to see if she was at risk of falling--looking relieved when she moves her hand to heal the damage done at her neck.

He slowly exhales--closing his eyes and nodding. ]

I was--pretty worried for a moment, there. I had the desire to. Not let go. [ which is really scary, honestly. ] ...fortunately, my willpower is stronger than whatever this weird feeling is.

I feel. Better.
Far less itchy and like I can hear every sound in my neighbor's apartments.

...Are you alright?

[crisantemo]

[ There's a strange pang of... disappointment? As Jinwoo pulls his hand away, but she pushes it aside, letting herself focus on his words - a gentle sigh of relief escaping her when he says he feels better. ]

You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for... [ And she knew she could trust him, so she felt no need to worry. ] But that's a relief to hear, I'm glad you're feeling better.

And I'm fine, just - [ Huh, why are things tilting backwards all of a sudden?



Oh, that's her.

With a jolt she rights herself, hands clinging onto his arms as she blinks rapidly. Lapis being Lapis, she's still very calm about all this. Or maybe it's just the blood loss making her more low energy than normal. ]

- I'm still a bit unsteady. I'll be fine after I rest a bit.

[lowestclass]

[ ...yeah that's her going backward.

It's okay--it's okay, he had his arms around her for this exact reason. While he's not the strongest guy around, he's at least sturdy enough to keep her upright, his loose grip immediately becoming firmer to make sure she doesn't slip onto the floor.

...He laughs, an unsteady, but still sort of amused noise as his shoulders come up with the laugh. ]

Should I put you down on the couch for a bit...? Ah, you rode your bike here...

[ ...oh no. he hadn't considered-- ]

I, if you. Don't trust yourself to drive, I.

You can stay on my couch tonight. ...I'd normally offer the guest my bed but... ...Eizen. Bought me the bed I currently use and it.... ....it's. [ an.. anyway... ]

Should I get you some water.

[crisantemo]

[ Lapis is going to just... lean against him for a moment. Before she always had adrenaline to keep her going after losing blood, so this is a bit of a new experience...

But she's at least coherent enough to listen to him, her head perking up enough so she can peer up. Right, she is. Not driving in this condition. It's nice to hear him laugh though, as unsteady as it may be. ]

Me driving is a bad idea right now, though... I'm a bit of an insomniac so I'll be up for a bit. [ Just going to be polite and warn him now. ]

Also I'm going to need to see what Eizen gave you now. [ Pause. ]

And some water would be good, thank you.

[lowestclass]

Ah, you have trouble sleeping? Well, I'm nocturnal, so. I'll be awake until the sun's up, myself.
I uhm. I suppose we could watch TV or talk--

I.

I'm kind of new at entertaining guests, I'm very sorry. [ but... oh no. please. don't go in his room.
he's quickly going to go get her a glass of water, trying to look busy. ]

--It's nothing. Just a bit of a. Prank gift that I haven't had the heart to get rid of. [ he had planned on sleeping on a futon until he bought a bed, but the gift had been... convenient... ]

He's got a bit of a... prankster's spirit, I feel...

[crisantemo]

Aha, it's fine, I'll just be glad for your company. I also don't want you to feel like you have to keep me entertained or anything, so please don't worry.

[ Lapis will let herself flop onto the couch as he gets some water, slowly slumping to the side so she's draped across the arm of it. She can just watch him from here it's fine. ]

The more you don't tell me, the more curious I get. [ She will see that bed, Jinwoo. ]

And he does. He can be so serious sometimes, and so... not.

[lowestclass]

--Haha. I suppose you're right. There's no harm in just... spending time together for a bit. [ just... pretend it's like one of their korean sessions, or... pre-planning before a TBO mission.
Except it's completely. You know. Not. ]

It's... just. ...Fine, I'll let you look later, just promise me you won't laugh.
It felt bad to get rid of a gift, even if it ... felt more like a joke.

[crisantemo]

Mmhm, just spending some time together would be nice.

[ Don't mind Lapis completely ruining any attempts to pretend.

But she manages to sit up a little more now, brows raised as she mulls over his words. Or does her best to, she still feels a little foggy. ]

And I promise I won't laugh, though... [ Now she manages a soft grin. ] With how you're describing it, did he give you some kind of weird looking bed?

[lowestclass]

[ he'll come back with a glass of water, and a sleeve of thin, mint chocolate flavored cookies. Offering them to her before sitting down. ]

I have erm. An embarrassing amount of tv shows and movies. It used to be my big interest, before I joined the order.

And .... well. Yeah. We spent a lot of missions together in Florida, you see. Because of our bad luck?

So we have a sort of mutual understanding. Sort of thing.

He somehow got a ...Racecar bed.
An adult one, no less. It's... pretty big.
[ god he can't believe he has to admit this to someone. much less lapis... ]

I haven't had the heart to throw it away....

[crisantemo]

[ Hope Jinwoo is ready to see those cookies inhaled at record speeds, because that's what's happening the moment she's given the sleeve of them. At least she takes time to have sips of water in between. ]

TV shows and movies... Were you gonna go into production or something, before the Order? [ There's the realization that she doesn't actually know how things were for him before joining. So she's just a bit curious.

And his words get some affirmative humming at first, before he finally tells her about The Bed. She promised not to laugh, but there is a muffled huff around a gulp of water. ]

A racecar bed. [ There's a raise of her brows, before her lips twitch into a grin. ]

Hmm... Bit of a mood killer, but could be worse. [ Blood loss has just made her worse, sorry Jinwoo. ]

[lowestclass]

[ god, she just became the world's prettiest cookie monster, right before his eyes. He's staring with a bit of a startled look, at first--then he's chuckling. He's glad he had the quick idea to bring her them, if she was that excited about them.

He settles in, turning his head towards where his entertainment center is placed--two large shelves surround a pretty big tv, and they're filled with DVDs and boxed sets of all shapes and sizes.

He gives a chuckle. ]

I don't think I'm clever enough to be a producer, truth be told. I'm not that great with people, much less directing them.

No, I... [ why does it feel embarrassing to admit...? ] Before the Order found me, I was an actor. A... pretty well known one, back in Korea. I was a side character in a few different shows, but.
...I took the main role of a very popular K-Drama that was pretty big about ten years ago. Samjok-o Adeul.

[ he's going to ... get up and go take out a boxed set from the shelf, maybe to hide the red colour over his face as she calls his racecar bed A MOOD KILLER, he's trying not to DIE here, Lapis. Once he sits down, the pinkish tinge hasn't left his face.

But he hands the boxed set to Lapis--an image of some live-action, high fantasy setting...

...With a younger Jinwoo on the cover, dressed in a warrior's hanbok, with a pair of black wings on his back.

maybe a proper distraction away from the racecar bed... ]

[crisantemo]

[ An actor? Now she's even more curious, and now her focus is off the cookies entirely as she listens. It's... strange, imagining him as something else outside the Order, when it's such a focus on their lives now. But it's a thought that makes her smile softly, as she quietly repeats that title. ]

Samjok-o Adeul... [ Her pronunciation has gotten better, thanks to their lessons, though it takes a moment for the translation to come to her. ] Son of the Three-Legged Crow?

[ That feels close enough, but as always she'll let her teacher decide. Also she absolutely sees that color on his cheeks, and she does manage not to giggle at the sight as she gently takes the boxed set he hands her. And there he is, right on the front - younger, but still Jinwoo. He... really had a great career, back then. ]

Oh, you were cute back then... Though you still are now. [ Okay she'll stop now - ] But you being an actor explains why you can be a little dramatic sometimes.

[ Now she'll stop, the mischief fading from her smile as it softens into something more fond. Her eyes flick over the cover, before she turns it over, taking a glance at any information on the back; still handling the set as if it's something precious. ]

That's really amazing, though. I could never do something like that, I used to get nervous just being on stage sometimes.

[lowestclass]

[ it absolutely explains his dramatic attitude--he actually has to laugh when she calls that thing out, a hand on the back of his neck to rub at it a little sheepishly. ]

That's right. You translated it perfectly. [ he sounds proud--she's been good at keeping a hold onto the language--his own struggles with learning english weren't this good. ] It's a K-Drama. I was ... kind of obsessed with the idea of being a movie star when I was a kid, so. I poured everything into it.

[ she teases him again, and his face sure isn't getting any less pink, quickly trying to distract himself by taking a drink out of his own glass of water. hrk. ]

I. I don't know what you're talking about. [ he'll just look in the other direction...!!! ] Getting on stage is easy. Because you usually act like someone you're not. It's easy pretending to be someone else.

I think it's scarier to be yourself in front of others. I was terrible at interviews... I choked up all the time.

[crisantemo]

[ How proud he sounds of her getting the translation right gets her to perk up, appearing very much like a self-satisfied cat for a brief moment, before she chuckles as he turns pink. Sadly that sort of reaction means the teasing will never end, but at least she's nice enough to give him mercy for now.

But then she huffs, managing to summon enough energy to nudge her shoulder against his when he turns away. Here she's holding an amazing accomplishment, right in her hands, and he's downplaying it! ]

And yet there you are, the star of something big. You say you were terrible, but obviously there was something there. You just don't give yourself enough credit, not everyone can act and not everyone can act well.

[ She definitely can't, her type of performing was something completely different. With singing she didn't have to think of if she's moving or talking the right way. ]

... Do you think you might try acting again, one day?

[lowestclass]

...Haha.

[ her vote of confidence makes his heart feel light. Offering her a sideways smile as he's nudged, and he crosses his arms over a little, tapping his chin with a finger. ]

Oh, I'm very confident in my acting skills. As I said, I poured everything into it. Time, money--I even got vocal classes to learn how to sing, even a little, just in case it came up for a role. It was just the interviews I was bad at. I was really shy with people asking me too many things.

[ but for that question... ]

I'd like to.
I'd like to go back to it. I miss it. But.
Given that the Order faked my death and I changed my name--It'd be dangerous to show up on TV again.
It might cause an incident.

[crisantemo]

[ Oh, he sang? Immediately her interest is piqued further - even if she's long since discared her own dreams of being on stage again, singing has always been such an important part of her. It was just a part she never really mentioned before. ]

You learned how to sing? When was the last time you sang? [ Let her hear you sing, Jinwoo. And then she finds herself smiling at him in return, slowly returning to her cookie monster roots as she grabs a remaining cookie from the sleeve. ]

Good, you should be confident. Now if we can just that confidence in everything else... [ She's teasing again, but she doesn't let that linger too long, her expression turning to something thoughtful.

To have something outside the Order... She would like to see that for him, even if it can't be the same as before. ]

You don't have to go on TV to act, there's other ways to go about it too.

[lowestclass]

It's admittedly been a few years since I've done anything with my skills, so I'm sure I'm more than a bit rusty. [ he looks sheepish because she looks so honestly interested--a hand moving up to sort through the hairs along the back of his neck, as if it's imperative to do that right now. ] I sometimes still sing to myself while I'm doing work or something, but it's not really the same as being on stage, you know? Haha...

[ he looks offside, then back. ] Do you like to sing, too?

Elliot--someone I met on the network, mentioned there's a theatre in the city, but I'm a little nervous about just. Expecting a part in a play or something...

[crisantemo]

[ The mental image of him singing to himself while he works... It's a very cute one, enough so that she quietly giggles to herself for a moment. But at least she doesn't tease him this time, even if the gentle smile remains for a moment longer. ]

It's really not, but I would still like to hear you sing sometime. Maybe I can help you unrust a bit.

[ Though... He's asking her now? Lapis hesitates, and it's then she realizes she's... never told anyone about what she did before the Order. Only Eizen knows, and that's because he knew her for years before then. It's almost a little embarrassing, and her eyes glance to the side. ]

I do. I was... training to be a professional singer, before the Order. I played piano too, though I'm not sure if I can read sheet music anymore.

[ It's been so long since she played. But she peeks up at him when he mentions a theatre; right, she's heard about that too. ]

Don't be nervous, I'm sure they would be thrilled to have you there.